


A Fresh Start

by parttimefemmefatale (writingramblr)



Series: The Adventures of Twelve and a Rose from another Earth [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossing Parallels, Gen, Parallel Universes, alternate rose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-08
Updated: 2014-07-08
Packaged: 2018-02-07 22:41:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1916667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingramblr/pseuds/parttimefemmefatale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor and Clara accidentally cross the Void and find a Parallel universe where Rose exists as the Vitex heiress, and is Married to Mickey Smith.</p><p>It's much too tempting to the Doctor, and he knows he should leave at once, but he can't keep himself from talking to her...just saying hello isn't enough.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Fresh Start

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lunarsilverwolfstar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarsilverwolfstar/gifts).



> ahhhhhhhhhhhhh another AU and a chance to write 12/Rose, of course the plot bunnies are at work. This is part one of a haphazard semi-series and I have no earthly idea how long it will go on.

The grey hair on his head tells him he’s aged. He appears more like his true age. He doesn’t find that he cares.

The color of his kidneys was the first indicator, before Clara’s wide eyes and furtive glances, as if he might need help walking around the TARDIS, gave him a hint. When he finally got to a mirror, he stood before it a long time.

His time lord physiology means he can still run easily, though he doesn’t look it. He impresses Clara by the way he dances around the console, full of elegance and grace, nothing like his past incarnation.

He learns to fly his magnificent ship without much help from the Impossible Girl.

At least, he thinks he’s alright, once they land safely in London.

Something’s not quite right.

The Eye is in the wrong place, and Big Ben is not a real clock face anymore, it’s gone digital.

What world is this?

The Doctor soon discovers it’s not the Earth he knew, or the other Earth he knew for a time.

It’s another parallel world.

Before he can stop himself, he’s typed in her name, and he’s searching the TARDIS database for her information.

Rose Tyler.

***

The words that follow her name give him pause.

“Vitex Heiress at age twenty-five, married to Mickey Smith, no children.”

The display screen provides helpfully, and Clara squints at the screen,

“Rose Tyler? I know that name. How do I know that name?”

The Doctor flashes a look towards the console, and he knows it’s likely from Clara’s encounter with the Vortex. Bad wolf sings in his mind and he shakes his head.

“No idea. Probably just one of those names. Where would you like to go on this New Earth?”

His accidental phrasing brings on a new round of memories. Long past, and stored deep, they rush forward and sting anew.

Apple grass, a hospital, a stolen kiss, and pink and yellow.

The Doctor suddenly doesn’t want to stick around this earth a minute longer than necessary, but Clara is already out the doors, and he hastens to follow her.

“What about a tour of the tower of London?”

The Doctor smiled at Clara. The girl loved things of beauty, and the crown jewels would be in that category. He didn’t feel the urge to follow her though, past the TARDIS doors, he felt compelled to seek out what he knew he should not.

“I’ll meet you back here in 24 hours all right?”

Clara looked at him with wide eyes, and seemed surprised.

“All right. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

He laughed and nodded at her,

“Can’t make promises I can’t keep.”

***

It was a simple matter to find where she lived, he’d been looking through her entire biography on the TARDIS after all. He didn’t feel bad at all. This wasn’t really _his_ Rose anyway.

She was a stranger. But it didn’t mean he couldn’t repay her kindness here. It seemed he owed her some chips.

A flash of blond hair in the corner of his eye brought him back from his musings, and he hastened to catch up with her.

She’d just come out of a shop, and her arms were laden with purchases.

He suddenly felt shy. Was this Rose completely different than his?

She spent her days shopping? And her husband was where? At home? In the office?

Why was he acting like a foolish boy?

“Excuse me miss, would you like some help carrying those?”

He spoke almost before he could stop himself, and rushed to Rose’s side, before stopping dead in his tracks.

This Rose was so different.

He’d not noticed how the hair wasn’t quite so light. It was a soft honey color, and her hazel eyes were framed with just the right amount of makeup to stun him.

This Rose didn’t use makeup to hide behind, though she didn’t need it anyway, she used it to enhance. Perhaps it was a different kind of hiding, in plain sight.

After all, she had to deal with publicity and fame, while his Rose had not.

She smiled at him, but he could see it was not entirely genuine.

The weight of her bags clearly outweighed the caution she would have had, for some reason, she trusted him. Maybe it was his face, or maybe, just maybe, it was because she didn’t know how well she knew him.

Another him.

***

Rose Tyler wasn’t usually one to let complete strangers take her shopping bags full of expensive things to her car.

Even more so, when the elderly gentleman, who barely looked older than her father might have, had he still been living, offered to buy her lunch, she found herself accepting.

Chips suddenly smelled fabulous, and her stomach roared as she took his arm, and let him lead her to the nearest café.

She’d crunched down three chips, drenched with vinegar, before thinking to ask his name.

“John Smith.”

He replied, with that smooth Scottish burr, and she ducked her head, surely he wasn’t making her feel nervous. That would be ridiculous.

“Of course you know who I am.”

She waved a hand around and nearly sent a chip flying across the table at him.

“Yes. Rose Tyler.”

His mouth wrapped around the syllables of her name effortlessly. Was she staring?

She was a married woman for heaven’s sake!

Married to her best friend, in a fit of madness. She loved Mickey, anyone could tell. But she wasn’t sure if she was _in_ love with him.

John Smith looked at her like she was the most precious thing in this world. For a complete stranger who’d barely spent half an hour with her, she felt more cared for than her entire four years of marriage.

That had to be down there with being a Nazi.

***

The Doctor was content to simply sit and look at her, listening to her talk with pride about her company. He’d been wrong to assume what he had. She worked quite diligently with Vitex, and barely took a day off it seemed. He was saddened to hear Pete Tyler had passed away, and that had been the catalyst for her inheritance.

He’d only known an alternate Pete, and the Pete Rose had saved from his original death. But both men had been incredibly courageous, and worthy of the Tyler name.

At least this Rose had had some small relationship with her father. That was so much more than his Rose could have dreamt of.

“And you? What do you do?”

The Doctor blinked, and realized she’d turned the conversation onto him. This was his big moment.

“I’m a Doctor, of sorts. I fix things.”

Rose smiled, and twirled a chip in a vinegar puddle before chewing it thoughtfully,

“Things? A things doctor? What on earth does that mean?”

“More than just people I guess. Some might say I can fix anything.”

Rose’s cheery grin vanished in the blink of an eye, and the Doctor felt his hearts pause,

“Can you fix me?”

His hand shot over and touched hers before he could stop himself,

“Whatever for? Are you broken?”

His tone was teasing, and he attempted to smile at her, but something in her faraway gaze was bone chilling.

Rose shrugged,

“I don’t know. I do feel strange. So strange sometimes. Like part of me is missing. Or I’m forgetting something important. Do you ever get that feeling?”

The Doctor sighed,

“More often than you could imagine.”

***

He didn’t want to waste too much of her time pouring out his hearts to her. Spinning a tale of a girl he once loved, only to change the name at the last second to keep her from knowing the truth.

Surely she’d think him a mad man. Maybe he was.

A mad man with a box.

He’d been called that before.

That didn’t stop him from kissing her hand when he told her goodbye. When he’d returned to the TARDIS, long before Clara, he sat in the console room, and told himself he’d done enough damage for one day.

To risk further inserting himself into an alternate Rose’s timeline would be foolish.

But when had that ever stopped him?


End file.
